don't think it is the same, one produces metal sheets for aerospace companies.
Chinese Engine Development
- Thread starter jackbh
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I wrote up here on why I think hybrid tech is better.
also have a thread here going. btw, Boeing is actually working with NASA to go hybrid. So the current powers also recognize the increased efficiency here. But i think if they can get to Plugin hybrid with aeroEngine, they can be even more efficient.
Plug-in hybrid is more efficient than hybrid, because that allows you to separate power generation and power usage. Power generation can be made more efficient and optimal when it doesn't have to align with power usage.
I am still not convinced hybrid would be more efficient in aircrafts. You will have additional weight of generator, motors, inverters and most importantly batteries. Also, unlike the road vehicles the cruising power requirement is higher in planes. Ultimately you will need nearly as much of the turboengines powering the generator as they would have been used as turboprops.
Planes already need generators and batteries and the power density of all those components are going up* as power electronics and battery technologies develop. Electrical would also replace mechanical gearboxes and transmissions which are no dainty flowers in their own right.
PHEV and BEV across the vehicle form factor are still heavier than ICE equivalent. And this issue will be even more pronounced in planes. I don't think you can scale this approach to large regional aircrafts. Could work for extending the range of evtol though.
Depending on the hybrid architecture the battery doesn’t need to be huge since it’s primarily providing electrical power not storage.
Unlike road vehicles, where frequent stops and braking allow hybrids to be more efficient during idling and low-power cruising, aerial applications have different dynamics. In flight, even during cruising, aircraft engines typically require 50-60% of their rated power, making the benefits of hybrid propulsion less pronounced. However, a hybrid system could still be effective in applications involving multiple small propellers for distributed propulsion. These systems could leverage electric motors for efficiency during high power phases, such as takeoff, climb, or when adjusting flight patterns, while relying on traditional engines for sustained cruising power.
I think the use case of hybrid propulsion is tapping into that big difference between take-off power and cruising power. So its application is suitable for short range general aviation, not (for now) for long range passenger traffic. It is still a big market share though.
Here is an article of test of hybrid propulsion for a sport aircraft.
In the article it says that the electrical motor is driven by both GT generator and batteries at take-off. While cruising the battery is charged by the GT while the propeller is driven by part of power from GT/generator. The charged electricity will then be used for next take-off. We know that GT is not efficient when running below their rated power. Most of time the aircraft is cruising that means GT are most of time "wasting" fuels. That is where battery comes in to store that otherwised wasted energy. It also allows a much smaller GT to be used for an aircraft that needs a big GT in conventional setup, increasing fuel efficiency. It is the same reason why IEPS in ships are done.
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